1.10.2011

Study center fresh start and camps.

Went in early to the study room today and met all of the cutie babies coming up into middle school. Presumably I'll start teaching them in March. All boys, of course. I have nothing else in my destiny, it seems. When I came out from my session with Taeyoung, they were sitting around on the floor using baduk stones as gambling chips to play poker with the male teacher. I shouted at them and called them gangpae, which made them fall over laughing. They passed my aviators around. Then, the female head teacher came out and shouted at the male teacher for teaching the boys bad habits -- apparently, he was responsible for it all. He also has a mouth like a sailor in front of the students. I kind of like him.

I've got Soonhyeon, the crier, in camps again. He's cried three times so far. Today he totally ruined the mood because Minjae (whose real name is Sangmin, which he doesn't like because it's too normal, so we call him Minjae) said he was going to draw Soonhyeon's face on one of the player pieces for the board game they were making. I finally got him to stop crying, but then everyone just sat there awkwardly gluing things together while he sulked and sniffled. I caught Mincheol's eye and we both, being the only two not directly involved in the altercation, snickered a bit.

Ikhee's group's game is Nazi-themed. Ikhee's obsession with Nazis is never-ending and freaks me out a bit. I would like to say that it's just a kind of general WWII fascination, but it's not. When I give him looks about it, he always makes sure to clarify that he hates the Nazis, but I'm just not so sure. He's a good kid, but it's fucking weird.

I love camps. But I'm getting restless, as vacation draws closer. Vacations always mark a kind of turning point in the Korea experience. Talking to the G Man on the phone long distance to Liverpool this weekend, I explained how leaving Korea for any amount of time is a bit akin to hitting the reset button. It has a way of clearing the decks. It might be time for that. But I am enjoying myself. I just need to get some rest soon.